IRANIAN NAVY CONFRONTS BRITS IN STRAIT OF HORMUZ

The incident occurred after the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Major General Mohammad Bagheri, had said that any ships of “hostile countries” would be confronted when crossing the Strait of Hormuz.

Three speeding Iranian ships confronted a British Navy destroyer who was escorting three British vessels, sailing through the Strait of Hormuz near the Persian Gulf.

The Iranians crossed the course of HMS Dragon, just as the destroyer was less than a kilometer from the port, according to the British newspaper The Telegraph .

Facing the situation, the HMS Dragon ship’s commander, Michael Carter Quinn, ordered five warning alarms and only after executing the alert tones, the Revolutionary Guards Navy responded by radio that they were in place to guarantee “security of sovereignty at the national level, besides carrying out routine operations.”

Commander Quinn also said that if the fast Iranian attack boats had not moved, his vessel would have to fire five warning shots, adding that “you need to provide a robust response. The day you do not take it seriously is the day you drift.”

It is not the first time that Iran faced a similar situation. Previously, a similar problem occurred in the same place, when US Navy ships crossed the region, however, the operation was carried out under international law.

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The commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, General Major Mohammad Bagheri, had warned that he would not tolerate violations of the laws in the region, including threats to block the Strait of Hormuz, which is the main transport route for oil from Iran to the world.

It is for this reason that back in August Saudi Arabia’s Energy Adviser Ibrahim al-Muhanna said that if Iran closes the Strait of Hormuz, it is very likely that the UN Security Council will authorize military action.

The advisor added that Tehran is unable to close, partially or completely, the straits of Hormuz and Bab-el-Mandeb.

According to al-Muhanna, quoted by the Reuters news agency, the current sanctions will not be able to completely prevent Iranian exports.

Earlier, Alireza Tangsiri, the chief of the Guardian Corps Marine Corps, said Iran totally controls the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz .

Tehran also threatened to block the Strait of Hormuz by cutting off the main oil transport route in case of any hostile actions by the United States.

Paul Antonopoulos is a Research Fellow at the Center for Syncretic Studies. He has an MA in International Relations and is interested in Great Power Rivalry as well as the International Relations and Political Economy of the Middle East and Latin America.